Tear gas gun



June 17, 1958 E. 0. SMITH TEAR GAS GUN Filed July 12, 1952 INVENTOR.

ATTOR EY Patented June 17, 1958 TEAR GAS GUN Elmer O. Smith, Fort Worth, Tex.

Application July 12, 1952, Serial No. 298,497

1 Claim. (Cl. 109-32) This invention relates to apparatus for firing gas shells of the type commonly designated as tear gas shells, and its principal object resides in the provision of a simple mechanism by which a tear shell or bomb can be installed and retained in readiness to be discharged or fired when tampered with or disturbed in any manner by unauthorized persons, such as burglars, thieves, and the like, and which can be operatively connected to a door or window lock or used merely as a booby trap set up to be actuated when an article of merchandise is displaced, as by attempting to remove the same from a mercantile establishment.

An object of the invention is that of providing a device for firing tear gas shells having a firing barrel which is changeable to accommodate gas shells of different calibres, such as .38, .45 and shot gun shells of .410 gauge and 12 gauge, or any of the conventional size gas shells generally employed in police work, and the like, so that enclosed areas of difierent dimensions can be properly covered, the size of the area within the enclosure being a factor in determining the size or calibre of the gas shell which would be most effective in discouraging unauthorized invasion.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a mechanism which can be installed on a door or window of a building, housing a mercantile establishment, either in combination with a conventional door or Window lock, or embodied in a lock, or simply employed for use in connection with ordinary equipment to be actuated by the removal of merchandise, such as packing cases, cartons, and the like, arranged on counters and shelves in the building. It is contemplated that the device may be set for energization or operation and retained in firing position by placing a packing case, or other article of merchandise thereon so that a gas shell can be exploded when the article is removed or otherwise molested.

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of a tear gas shell gun which has embodied therein a simple and inexpensive arrangement of parts by which the device may be adaptable for installation in connection with any type of conventional door lock, and actuated to firing position by a key of conventional design, or arranged on a window stool to be actuated when the window is raised or tampered with, or positioned to be actuated when any piece of merchandise is moved or molested.

While the foregoing objects are paramount, other and lesser objects will become manifest as the description proceeds, taken in connection with the appended drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective illustration of the invention embodying a door latching mechanism and operative in connection with a door.

Figure 2 is a vertical or longitudinal sectional illustration of the invention showing the key actuated setting mechanism, the retaining device for the firing pin, and the hinged gas shell barrel.

Figure 3 is an inverted plan view of theinvention showing the gas shell barrel.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional plan view on lines 4-4 of Figure 2 showing the latching and setting mechanism.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the rotative cam for setting the firing pin in safety and firing positions.

Figure 6 illustrates the lowermost end of the firing pin, both from a fragmentary elevational view and an inverted plan view, and

Figure 7 illustrates an inverted plan view and an elevational view of the key for rotating and setting the firing pin in safety and firing positions.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary illustration of a modification of the upper end of the main housing of the device and the firing pin, the enclosing cap being shown partially in longitudinal section. 7

Conventional tear shells, commonly known as tear gas shells, are employed by police in handling rioting crowds, quelling prison disturbances, and the like, and such shells are exploded or fired by special apparatus known as tear gas guns which are generally considered standard equipment for law enforcing ofiicers, and such arms are equipped to fire shells of standard calibre or gauge used in conventional fire arms. Such shells, of course, must be of special manufacture or design but available to any person having proper legal authorization for their use. The invention herein described is designed purely for the purpose of protecting property against persons bent upon crime.

Accordingly, the invention comprises a housing 10 which is generally cylindrical in transverse section, and cast to define a flange 11 along one longitudinal side by which the device can be attached by screws, or similar device, to a door or to a window stool in such manner as to adapt the same to be actuated when the door or window is opened' by unauthorized persons. The housing 10 has a chamber 12 formed therein to operatively enclose a firing pin 13 arranged concentrically and longitudinally therethrough.

The housing '10 has internal threads 14 at one end and an externally threaded boss 15 on its opposite end, and a transverse partition l6 which closes one end of the cham-' ber 12 and defines a receptacle 17 within the exterio rly threaded boss 15. T he partition 16 has a central aperture through which the firing pin 13 is slidable in its operation. A centrally apertured plug 18 is threaded into the internally threaded portion 14 of the housing 10 to guide the firing pin 13 near its operative end. A shell receptacle or barrel 19 is 'hingedly secured to the housing 10 m be operated on a hinge pin 20 arranged in the flange 11 and in axial alignment with the housing 10, "as shown in Figure -2. A bore 21 is formed in the barrel 19 to receive a standard calibre gas shell 22 which has a firing cap 23 in operative relationship with the firing pin 13. A tensio-ned latch 24 is provided for securing the barrel 19 in alignment with the housing 10 in which the firing pin 13 is arranged.

Within the receptacle 17 is arranged a cam member 25 Y which is cylindrical in formpas shown in detail in Figure 5, by which the firing pin l3 can be adjusted to safety position, as shown in Figure 2. The member 25 has a central bore 26 through which the firing pin 13 operates and o-ifset surfaces 27 and 28, the latter 'being engageable by a dowel 29 in the firing pin 13 to retain the same in safety position against the tension of the spring 30 which embraces the latter within the chamber 12. The surface 27, comprising approximately one-half of the operative surface of the member 25, merely provides for the longitudinal movement of the firing pin 13 in its firing action. In other words, when the dowel 29 is in anyposition over the surface 27, the firing pin 13 can function, when released, to fire the shell 22.

The firing pin 13 has a worm gear 31 thereon which is slida'ble longitudinally thereof. The gear 31 is adapted to rotate the pin 13 by a key 32 so that the pin can 'be rotated but 'be'capable of longitudinal action to fire the shell 22. -Meshing with the Worm gear 31 is a worm 33 on a shaft 34- which can be operatedby a key (not shown) or by any suitable means. The Worm 33 is, in turn, meshed with a racked bar 35 arranged transversely of the firing pin 13 and functions as a latch or bolt for a door or window lock, as desired. The gear 31 and worm 33, with the bar 35, are housed within a casing 36 having an internally threaded portion 37 by which it is secured to the externally threaded boss of the housing 10.

In the side of the housing 10, oppositethe flange .11 thereof, is an elongated opening 38 within which is arranged an arm 39 hinged at one end by a pin 40, as shown in Figure 2. Near the free end of the arm 39 is a stud 41 whose head 42 projects inwardly to engage the tapered surface 43 of a cam 44 secured to the firing pin 13, near its operative end, by a dowel 45. The arm 39 is re tained in position by a plunger 46 which is tensioned by a spring within a housing 47, which can be secured to a door facing, or other surface, by screws, or the like, through apertures 48 in its flanges 49.

The structure illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, is designed to be applied to a door or Window and operate when the door or window is opened. Obviously, the device may be employed as a lock or may be used in connection with any type of conventional lock as a means for protecting the premises against persons entering When the lock is forced. Under ordinary conditions the bar 35 is intended only for the purpose of preventing the door or window from being opened by an authorized person before the firing pin has been adjusted to safety position.

In a typical installation the invention is applied to the edge of a door (not shown) so that the shaft 34 extends through the door to be rotated by a key or knob. The bar 35 is adapted to be moved into a keeper on the door facing. The housing 47 'for the tensioned plunger 46 is attached to the door facing below the keeper for the bar 35 in operative alignment with the member 39 and is adapted to engage the latter at all times, particularly when the gun is set to be discharged when the door is opened. The arm 39 is retained by a packing case, or other article, when used simply as a booby trap, in which case the simple cap 50, shown in Figure 8, is threaded upon the boss 15 of the housing 10 instead of the casing 37 shown in Figure 2.

The firing pin 13 has a tapered point 51, as apparent in Figures 2 and 6, and adjacent the point is a polygonal portion 52 which is engaged by the conforming well 53 of a key 54-, illustrated in Figure 7 for resetting the pin 13 after the gun has been fired. It is necessary to move the firing pin 13 upwardly and rotate the same to cause the dowel 29 to rest upon the surface 28 of the member thus placing the pin 13 under the tension of the spring but restraining it in safe position, the cam 44 being turned to present a cavity formed therein opposite the tapered surface 43 to the member 42. The key 54 can be inserted to actuate the pin 13 when the 'barrel 19 is swung outwardly on its hinge 20.

Manifestly, the invention is capable of certain changes in structural design for adaptation to its several uses, including the materials of which the device can be constructed without departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

111 a device for exploding a tear gas shell, for use against unauthorized breaking and entry, the combination of a housing adapted to be installed on a door, a cylindrical chamber formed longitudinally in the housing, a firing pin operatively arranged in the chamber, a shell housing having a cylindrical chamber normally aligned with the cylindrical chamber of the housing and hinged eccentrically thereto, means for securing the shell housing against rotation with respect to the housing, a first cam positioned in the housing and surrounding the firing pin, the cam having longitudinally offset portions for engagement with a cam follower on the firing pin whereby the firing pin is movable longitudinally upon rotating it relative to the cam, a sliding bolt arranged transversely in the housing and extending outwardly therefrom for engagernent with an adjacent door jamb to lock the door, a rotatable shaft in the housing having a gear thereon, gears on the firing pin and the sliding bolt meshing with the first mentioned gear for rotating the firing pin relative to the cam While simultaneously acting upon the sliding bolt to move it longitudinally, a compression spring surrounding the firing pin and acting on the firing pin and the housing to move the firing pin longitudinally in the housing whereby it is capable of being advanced relative to a shell positioned in the shell housing, a second cam on the firing pin having a longitudinally and radially outwardly tapered surface comprising a segment thereof and having a cavity formed therein opposite the tapered surface, a hinged arm in the housing having a detent stud thereon for selective engagement with the cavity, or alternatively, the tapered surface, and a spring biased sliding bolt, adapted to be installed on the jamb, for yieldable engagement with the hinged arm whereby the detent stud is maintained in engagement with the second cam, the arrangement being such that the second cam is movable, upon rotation of the firing pin, from a first position in which the firing pin is retained in its retracted position relative to the shell, against the action of the spring, to a secondposition in which the firing pin is released whereby it is advanced relative to the shell and the hinged arm is deflected outwardly by the action of the tapered surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,567,659 Lawrence Dec. 29, 1925 1,786,976 Anderson Dec. 20, 1930 1,970,719 Frantzius Aug. 21, 1934 2,423,448 Haight July 8, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS 119,782 Sweden July 17, 1947 608,356 Great Britain Sept. 14, 1948 

